1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a digital broadcast reception apparatus for receiving digital broadcast for preparing data for printing, and a picture printing method for printing a picture for demonstration on a picture display device.
2. Description of Related Art
In printing a picture demonstrated on a display monitor of a television receiver, there is known a method employing an analog video printer.
In this method, the analog video printer is supplied, from the television receiver, with the analog picture signals corresponding to a picture demonstrated on a display monitor of the television receiver. The analog picture signals, supplied to the analog video printer, are digitized and sequentially written in a frame memory within the analog video printer, in terms of a frame of the picture demonstrated on the display monitor as a unit.
If a user issues a command for printing a picture demonstrated on the display monitor, the frame memory of the analog video printer ceases to be updated to determine a picture to be printed. From the frame memory, data of the picture to be printed is read out and converted into data for printing. The analog video printer executes printing based on these printing data. This causes printing of the picture demonstrated on the display monitor of the television receiver.
Recently, digital television broadcast, in which television broadcast is executed by digital signals, was launched, and the television broadcast in its entirety is predicted to be executed in future by digital signals.
In a digital television receiver, receiving digital television broadcast, received digital picture signals are sequentially written in a frame memory of the digital television receiver in terms of a frame of the picture demonstrated on the display monitor as a unit. Based on the digital picture signals, extended on the frame memory, data for monitor display is prepared, in keeping with the demonstrating mode on the display monitor, such as interlacing mode or progressive mode, so that a picture id demonstrated on the display monitor.
If, in a digital television receiver receiving the digital television broadcast, described above, a picture demonstrated on the display monitor is to be printed, it may be contemplated to provide a page memory for printing in the digital television receiver, in addition to the frame memory used for extending data of a picture demonstrated on the display monitor, to write received digital picture signals sequentially in this page memory for printing. If a printing command is issued by the user, the data is taken out from the page memory for printing and converted into printing data suited for the printer, so as to be then transmitted to the printer through an interface, such as a centronics cable, in order to effect the printing.
However, with this method, the page memory for printing is required in addition to the frame memory in which to extend data of a picture to be demonstrated on the display monitor, thus increasing the cost.